(no subject)

Someone (icyblue) asked a randomquestions about studying abroad during college. This is my answer from over there: a very short version of a long and enjoyable year. Maybe I'll find something more to say about it soon.

I went on a program of intensive Japanese study at Nanzan University. Unlike some study-abroad programs, we didn't take classes with the regular university students. Instead we had four hours of Japanese every morning, and cultural electives in the afternoon. I took Sumi-e (painting), Calligraphy, Politics, and Classical Japanese. It was a wonderful year, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I learned so much, and I really felt fluent in Japanese at the end of it. I also made a number of very good friends, both Japanese people and other students on the program (who came from all over the world, though most were Americans and the next largest group were Germans). Only two things I regret about it: my host family had no children, so I didn't have anyone near my age in the house to socialize with, and I've forgotten so much since I came back.

(no subject)

I just got off the phone from a wicked happy 1 1/2 hour conversation with Liss...it'd been too long. I need to call her more often.

Earlier, instead of coming home from work, I went to the mall for a bit of retail therapy. I hadn't been shopping for clothes in a long time, and I badly needed jeans. I found a pair that fit well, so I bought two of exactly the same ones in different colors, along with three dresses and four shirts. It happened to be clearance season, so I lucked into some pretty good deals.

For someone who has been going steady with purple and seeing green on the side for years, I seem to be striking up a flirtation with orange lately. When I put my clothes away in the new house I organized them by color. I was greatly surprised to see how much orange stuff I have--and I bought two more orange things tonight.

On my way out of the mall I stopped in the video store and bought My Neighbor Totoro. I'm not sure whether it was for Rosa or for me: I saw it, or rather Tonari no Totoro, in Japan in 1988 and have been wanting to watch it again. I'd have liked to find a DVD with both Japanese and English soundtracks on it, but according to the store's database, it is only available on English-only video.

jingoro, do you happen to know whether anime DVD's commonly come with both (or more) tracks? It would be one way for me to practice my sadly-eroded Japanese. And I tried to look for the movie you recommended, but I couldn't remember the title. I'll have to try again another time.

(no subject)

Damn damn damn. I just edited my last entry in the client, got the "cannot contact server" message, and lost all four paragraphs I had written. Trying again with a new entry. On new entries it seems to remember the text when the server is unavailable, but apparently on edits it does not.

Anyway, as I was saying. I went to the mall instead of coming directly home this evening, for some well-deserved retail therapy. It happened to be clearance season, so I lucked into some very good deals. I got four shirts, three dresses, and two pairs of jeans: I found one that fit well, and decided to buy two of it in different colors.

For someone who has been going steady with purple for years, while also seeing green on the side, I seem to have struck up quite a flirtation with orange lately. When I moved back into the house, I organized all my clothes in the closet by color. I was very surprised by how much orange stuff I have--and I bought two more orange shirts tonight.

On the way out of the mall, I stopped at Suncoast and bought My Neighbor Totoro. It's not at all clear whether I was buying it for Rosa or for myself. I saw it, or rather Tonari no Totoro, in Japan in 1988, and I'd been wanting to see it again. I was hoping to find a DVD with both Japanese and English soundtracks, but according to the store database it is only available on video with English sound.

jingoro, do you (or anyone else) happen to know whether anime DVD's commonly come with both (or more) tracks? It seems like it would be a fun way to practice my sadly-eroded Japanese skills. I also tried to find the movie you recommended, but since I could only remember the "no Tsubara" part of the title, the clerk was unable to help me. I'll have to check the comment and try again another time.

(no subject)

Oh, sheesh. It posted after all. And I even checked before rewriting. Ah well.